ST. CLOUD — It's a partisan post, but Doug Wardlow says he wants to get the politics out of the Minnesota attorney general's office.

The GOP-endorsed candidate for attorney general came through St. Cloud on Monday to campaign before next week's primary elections.

He headed to a farm tour and to Bernick's after a stop at the St. Cloud Times.

Wardlow, 40, has two Republican challengers, but he's already got on eye on U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, a DFL candidate for attorney general. The DFL endorsed attorney and political activist Matt Pelikan in the race.

For the last three-plus years Wardlow has worked for the Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian nonprofit, known for representing Masterpiece Cakeshop and a baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple. The U.S. Supreme Court sided with the baker in July on grounds that a Colorado commission was hostile to his religious claims.

The Eagan native wants to rebuild the criminal law division of the attorney general's office and provide more resources to county attorneys. He's interested in collaborating to address the opioid epidemic and human trafficking.

"It's important to have the attorney general focused on greater Minnesota issues," Wardlow said. He lives in Prior Lake now and has three children with his wife, Jenny.

Wardlow attended Georgetown Law School in Washington D.C. and clerked for the Minnesota Supreme Court. He served one term in the Minnesota House of Representatives, starting in 2011.

Wardlow feels the attorney general should be more involved in prosecuting welfare fraud. If elected, he'll also work to counsel state agencies and make sure they're not over-regulating or overstepping their authority, he said. He also has an eye on consumer fraud and elder abuse.

As a litigation attorney, Wardlow has worked on eminent domain cases and international trade, including fights on dumped and subsidized steel from China, he said.

Those Chinese steel imports are now justification for President Donald Trump's trade tariffs.

Wardlow will face Republicans Sharon Anderson and Robert Lessard on the Aug. 14 primary ballot. He pointed out that neither are attorneys.

He thinks he might face Ellison in the Nov. 6 general election. Wardlow described his DFL foe as an "extreme, far-left" candidate and mentioned a shirt Ellison has worn with the phrase "I don't believe in borders." Trump also called out Ellison on the shirt.

Both Ellison and Pelikan have talked about taking federal policies to court if elected.

Wardlow said he'd defend Democratic policies so long as they don't violate the law or the Constitution.

"It's a job that shouldn't be political," Wardlow said. "I think we need an attorney general who'll take the politics out of the office and focus on Minnesota."